Each November, the Irish Fly Fair takes place, and this year (2024), at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and what a fantastic show. After almost nine hours of driving from South Wales, we arrived to the usual smiles, handshakes, and hugs from our fly fishing family before…
Fishing and tying small flies has been a huge passion of mine for a long time. These small bugs are in our rivers, streams and lakes all year round and are a major food source for trout. Tying small flies will also help you become a more proficient fly dresser,…
In this video, I tie a fantastic generic emerger pattern for trout. While I actually tie a March Brown Emerger imitation in this video, the pattern can be easily tweaked and adapted to cover any emerging upwing by simply changing its size. This generic, template-style dry fly pattern gives a…
It's always a blast demonstrating for fly tying clubs, and none more so than the Potteries Fly Tying Club. This was my third time tying for the club, and it was fantastic to visit Stoke-on-Trent again on Monday, 28th October, where I tied and chatted through a range of dry…
It rained and howled all day. Still, we hit the river in hope. Lucky we did... https://youtu.be/LWPqei8N3cQ
The first event of 2025 is booked, and I'm really chuffed at being invited back for my 12th year at BFFI. The show is easily the biggest and best in the UK and sees an unbelievable pool of fly dressing talent from all over the world converge on Stafford, UK,…
Going where only a few venture. Watching pools and waiting for rising trout. Sometimes, they show themselves... https://youtu.be/QhVIg2fkeec
In this video, I tie the famous CdC and Elk, a pattern (developed by Hans Weilenmann back in the 1980s as a result of his time spent fishing in Montana) wielding CdC as an alternative to the equally famous rooster-hackled cadis imitation, the Elk-Haired Caddis. This is a pattern that…
I've not tied at the Irish Fly Fair in quite a few years (2016, maybe?), so I'm overjoyed at the offer to tie at the 2024 show, held at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh on the 16th and 17th November. As usual, I'll be looking forward to chatting trout,…
Fresh in through the door after a fantastic day of teaching at the wonderful Tregate Angling Club's 2024 members' open day and BBQ. Based on the River Monnow on the Wales/England border, this is a truly fantastic group of passionate anglers who eagerly work to promote wild fish, habitat protection…